Controlling mechanism.



A. WINTON.

GONTROLLING MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION IILBD 1320.5, 1904.

Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. WINTON.

CONTROLLING MEGHANISM.

` APPLIUATION FILED DEO. 5, 1904. 1,040,479. Patented oct.8,1912.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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ALEXANDER WINTON, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

Application led December 5, 1904. Serial No. 235,487.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, ALEXANDER 'WINToN, acitizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Cleveland, in the county ofCuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented, certain new and usefulImprovements in Controlling Mechanism, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates lo improvements in controlling mechanism for selfpropelled vehicles.

The present invention pertains to a controlling mechanism, the manualoperating part of which is arranged within the steer'- ing tube.

[n the accompanying drawings, Figure 1, is a vertical section of asteering tube with my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2, is a top planview of the steering wheel showing the coperating parts of my presentimprovement. Fig. 3, is a detached perspective view of one of the camswhich are 1ocated within the steering tube. Fig. 4, is a detached sideview of the lever connection to an ignition lead device.

In carrying out my invention, the ordinary steering tube 1 and steeringwheel 2 may be used. To the lower end of this steering tube will beattached any desired form of mechanism for connection with the steeringwheel of the vehicle, whereby the rotation of the steering tube willcause the movement of the steering wheels of the vehicle. I do not hereshow any form of mechanism at the lower end of the steering tube, asthis does not constitute any part of my present invention.

The lower end of the steering tube 1 is suitably journaled in the upperportion of a casting 3, and preferably the mechanism co-acting with thelower end of the steering tube will be located within the casting orhousing 3. As is well known by those skilled in the art of explosiveengine control, this is'eff'ected in two ways, which are in the mostapproved engine control, conj ointly used. These two controls almostuniversally used, consist of first, means to control the amount ofexplosive charge delivered to the engine cylinder or cylinders, andsecondly,

air to control the inlet valve or valves of the engine in the mannerdisclosed in my U. S. Patent #626,122, of May 30th, 1899, andto whichreference is made for an understand ing of the principle and operationof this compressed air-controlled system. It is sutlicient for theunderstanding of the present invention as applied to thisair-controlling system, to say that the air pressure actingI on theinlet valves is controlled by a valve. This valve is placed at a pointin the vehicle to be operated by the driver, so that he may vary the airpressure acting upon the engine inlet valve and thus control its amountof movement and consequently the size of the charge delivered to theengine cylinder. In my aforesaid patent, the air valve for controllingthe speed of the engine when driving the vehicle, is arranged to beoperated by the foot of the driver.4 The corresponding foot-operatingvalve is shown in the present application and designated by thereference letter 4.

Thus far, I have only described those features of my present disclosurewhich are shown in my -prior patent, and I will now proceed to explainthose features which I believe to constitute my present invention.

One feature vof my present invention is to provide an air valve forcontrolling the aircontrolled system which can be operated by the handof the driver. In the drawings, this air valve is designated by thereference numeral 5, and moves within a tapered air passage-way 6 formedin a casting 7, the said air passage being in communication with theair-controlling system, and also in communication with the passage way 8in which the foot-operated valve 4 is located. The stem 9 of the valve 5is suitably attached to an arm 10, and this arm l0 is Cil , sleeve iscorrespondingly oscillated, thus through the steering tube 1 andprojects above the upper end thereof. Connected I with the projectingend of the tube 19 is a handle 20, and this handle projects laterallyoutward and is provided with a springpressed pawl -21 adapted to engagea notched segment 22 attached to the steering Wheel 2.

When the steering wheel and tube arel turned for guiding the vehicle,the sleeve 14 is turned therewith and simply rotates within theconcentrically-arranged ring 11, without imparting any motion whateverto the ring and its arm 10. When, however, the' handle 2O is moved oroscillated, the cam causing the sleeve 14 to move up or down, accordingto the direction in which the lever or handle 2O is moved, andcorrespondingly moves the valve 5 up and down in the passageway 6, andthus will control the air pressure in the air-controlling system. This Yarrangement enables the operator to adjust the air pressure to a. nicetyby hand, and to, if desired, more suddenly control the air pressure bythe foot-controlled valve 4. It also enables the operator to use eitherhis foot or his hand for controlling the air pressure, or both, asconditions may make it desirable. rl`he hand-control is more capable ofa uniform air pressure-control, as it will not be affected by the jar ofthe vehicle, as will the foot-control, and is also capable of beingadjusted at any desired point and there remain, whereas the foot-controlis capable of a more instant change in the air pressure, andconsequently a more sudden control of the motor. Thetwo together,therefore, coperate to enable the driver to control the speed of a motorto a nicety, without being affected by the jar of the vehicle, and tocontrol the motor suddenly. Furthermore, the foot-control is of great4advantage when the driver has his handsI occupied in steering thevehicle, as when in j close places, or when making short turns, or whenrunning rapidly over a rough road,

thus furnishing him the means of control independent of his steering,and also furnishing him a means of control capable o j nected to thelower cam, the upper end of trically arranged rod 23 which passes belcwthe tube 19 and is attached to a cam-sleeve 24 similar to the cam sleeve15, and located outside of the steering tube 1 is alongitudinally-movable sleeve 25, and this sleeve 25 is similar to thesleeve 14 and provided with a groove 26 similar to the groove 12 of thesleeve 14, and placed within this groove 26 is a ring 27. Attached tothis ring 27 is a link 28, the opposite end of the link being attachedto a bell-crank lever 29 pivoted at the point 30 on the upper end of thehousing 3. The opposite end of the bellcrank 29 is connected with oneend of the link 31, and the opposite end of the link 31 is vconnectedwith any desired form of shiftable electrical ma-ke-and-break orvariable elec.- tric ignition-lead device 32. I do not here show anyparticular forni of variable ignition-lead 32, for this forms no part ofmy present invention. Any of the well known forms may be .used andsuitably connected with the ring 27.

The upper end of the rod 23 extends through the tube 19 and has attachedthereto a controlling handle 33, and this controlling handle is providedwith a spring-actuated pawl 34` adapted to engage a notched seg.- ment35. When the rod is oscillated, the cam-sleeve 24 is correspondinglyoscillated, and the ring 27 raised or lowered accord-ing to thedirection of rotation, the said ring being connected with the cam-sleevein the same manner described in respect to the connection of the sleeve14 with the cam-sleeve 15 previously described. For thepurpose ofholding the rings 11 and 27 against rotation when the steering tube 1 isrotated, a rod 36 has its lower end connected to the housing 3 and itsupper end passing through openings 37 in the said rings.

From the foregoing', it will be observed that the control of theignition-lead and of the air pressure is in the main alike, .but thattheir relative arrangement is such that they are located within thesteering tube and concentric thereto, and tha-t the steering wheel iscapable of rotation without imparting any motion to either one.

No claim is made herein for the hand and foo-t controlling members, asthis will form the subject matter of a separate application.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Pat.- ent, is

The combination of a steering tube, two independent spiral cams locatedin the tube, one above the other, a tube connected with the upper camand extending through the steering tube and beyond the upper endthereof, a handle connected with the tube, a rod passing through thesaid tube and conthe rod extending beyond the said cam-tube,

of the rod, longitudinally-movable sleeves In testimony whereof I atIixmy signature surrlounding tha steering tube azlid hopera in presence oftwo witnesses. l

tive y connecte respective y wit t e sain Y cam through the steeringtube, two con- ALEXANDER WINTON' trollers and separate operativeconnections W'itnesses:

connecting the respective sleeves with the re- HAROLD B. ANDERSON,

spective controllers. HARRY L. OwEsNEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

